Process of obtaining alkali compounds useful for fertilizing.



N D srarns PATENT ora ion.

THOMAS L. WILLSON AND MAXIMILIAN CANADA, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND VESTMENT 00. OF CANADA LTD., OF CANADA.

MATTHEUS HAFF, or OTTAWA,

MESNE AssIGNmnN'rs, TO sournnan m- MONTREAL, cnmma, a coaronarrom or ONTARIO,

PROCESS OF OBTAINING ALKALI COMPOUNDS USEFUL FOB FEBTILIZING.

No Drawing.

ing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to an improved process of obtaining a mixture of alkali compounds useful for fertilizing and the object of the invention is to obtain at a minimum cost, a mixture of alkali metal compounds possessing considerable utility as a fertilizer and for other purposes.

Potash is a well known fertilizer, but its use in many instances is disadvantageous in that its natural silicate compounds are of an insoluble character which permits it only to be effected slowly by water, natural agencies, etc. It has been proposed to mix it mechanically with other compounds, such as soluble chlorids, sulfates, etc., but such mixtures leave the resultant product open to the same objection.

The present invention provides a process which will produce the potash in such association with another less soluble compound that it will remain a considerably shorter time inposition on the ground to be fertilized. In addition the method effects an economy in production for the reason that instead of separately recoveringthe ingredients of the fertilizers from their respective minerals,.they are recovered together in convenient form for use.

A further feature of the invention relates to the separation of the undesirable original constituents from the compound resulting from the process.

According to the present invention. ores or minerals containing potash and calcium phosphate are heated together to fusion when the potash and calcium phosphate will combine and may be slagged off from the remainder of the unafi'ected mixture. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1915.

Application filed December 18, 1911. Serial No. 666,400.

molten mass after cooling may be ground to an'impalpable powder and used as a fertilizer.

To free the potash and phosphoric acid in this powder from such other constituents as are undesirable, the powder is suspended in water, and sulfur dioxid passed therethrough which dissolves the potash and phosphoric acid, which latter may be recovered by evaporating to dryness.

While this invention is useful, particularly for the manufacture of a fertilizer, as above stated, its use is not limited thereto; in fact, the process might be applied to a variety of other minerals with corresponding differences in the products produced. Generally it may be said that if a mineral containing an alkali, suchas lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb) caesium (Cs), is heated to fusion with a compound of an alkaline earth, such as an alkaline earth phosphate, or with any phosphate, or a ehlorid or sulfate which may even contain soluble potash compounds, a fused mass will result which may be drawn off and will be found to contain the acid of the alkaline earth and the alkali in intimate association. As to whether this association is wholly chemical or physical it has not yet been determined.

The most general application of the invention may be said to comprise the heating of ores or minerals containing potash, lithium and sodium with ores or minerals containing phosphates. The heating may be ef fected in any desired way now well-known in the art and which will produce the requisite temperature, for example we would mention muflle or electric furnaces reverberatory furnaces and blast furnaces.

As a practical example of the process as applied to the manufacture of a fertilizer, we would refer to the use of feldspar (orthoclase) and apatite or phosphorite (calcium phosphate). If these two are placed together and heated to fusion (which takes place-at a temperature of about 1000 degrees C.) the molten mass may be drawn or tapped oil" and will be found to contain lime,

silica, alumina, potash and phosphoric acid or chlorids or sulfates according to the original mixture which possesses considerable fertilizing properties.- The insoluble clements'of the mixture will hold the relatively, soluble potash and phosphoric acid in contact with the earth aslong as possible so that they may be absorbed'by the plants therein. The product when cool is slmilar in physical structure to china or procelain, and for use as a fertilizer it is ground to an impalpablepowder. To facilitate the operation, other compounds or fluxes, such as fluorids, natura l borates or iron oxide, and generally any compound which will promote ultimate disintegration of the complex compound may be introduced. The proportion of the feldspar and apatite may be regulated to suit the amount of potash or phosphate desired in the resultant product. As an alternative to the above carnallite or kainite (potassium'magnesium compounds) may be heated to fusion with feldspar or'calcium phosphate and the product separated as already pointed out. As another alterna-' tive super-phosphate of lime might be used instead of calcium phosphate;

Considering now the treatment the;

powdered product. Any vapors which are collected from the furnace will generally be found to contain phosphoric acid and potash, and if these yapors are led into a mass of the powdered product suchproduct will absorb them and will be enriched thereby. It will also be possible to enrich the product with vapors of other fertilizers such as nitrogen compounds.

A still further feature of 'the invention relates to the treatment of this product with gases, liquids, acids or any'compound 'what soever to effect the immediate solution of the potash and phosphoric. acid. This would have the result of separating the potash and phosphoric acid from other elements of the mineral, such as alumina, and silica, which may be undesirable in the fertilizer, leaving it free to use themin the liquid or when dried therefrom. ,Thusthe comprises heatlng a potassium magneslum powder produced as herein set forth might be treated with aqueousfchlorin', aqueous sulfur dioxid, dilutehydrochloric acid, or

bisulfite liquor as known in paper making to form a solution of 1 the potash and phosphoric'acid, from whichif' desired the potash and phosphoric acid might be separated together by drying. v V

The most convenient'method of carrying out the process is toplace the powder in sus-. pension in water, and bubbling. sulfur dioxid therethrough. s

It may be stated that the process is. carried out without any reducing action and it will be found desirable to prevent the entrance of any reducing substances as far'as possible, excepting in the case of the forma: tion of suboxids as fluxes.

' \Vhat we claim as hr-invention Though have described with great par-' ticularity of detail certain specific proc-' esses embodying the invention yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the inven tion is limited to the exact processes described. Various modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention. It will be understood, however, that the-term alkali metal in the following claims is not to be construed as including the hypothetical metallic base ammonium.

It may be stated that the term compound as used herein is not intended to be limited to a chemical compound but may in-.

clude a physical union of the elements referred to.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently.

widely different embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claims, constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, itis intended that all matter. contained in the accompanying specification, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in ga limiting sens 1. The herein described j process, which comprises heating ai;,:inineral containing an alkali with a compound of an alkaline earth to fusion, withdrawing the fused phosphate product, and dissolving together by a suitable resagent the acid of the alkaline earthand the alkali metal.

2. The herein described process which comprises heating a mineral containing an e alkali-with acompound of an alkaline earth to fusion,. withdrawing the fused product, and" dissolving together by a suitable reagent the acid of the alkaline earth and then drying out the acid and alkalimetal from the solutionj 3. The herein described process which comprises heating a potassium magnesium compound with calcium phosphate to fusion 1 and withdrawing the fused product.

4. Theherein described process which compound, and calcium phosphate to fusion,

taining phosphoric acid and potash with other constituents of the original minerals in suspension in water and bubbling a gas therethrough,"which is adapted to effect dissolution of the potash and phosphoric acid.

' 6. .The stepsof the herein described process which comprises placing a powder containing phosphoric acid and potash with other constituents of the original minerals in suspension in water and bubbling sulfur ,dioxid therethrough. s

7. The herein described process which TIJBT i i ii'lj ihd GO Y comprises heating a potash bearing mineral In Witness whereof we have hereunto set with calcium phosphate, withdrawing and our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

cooling the fused product, powdering the THOMAS LJWILLSON.

fused product, suspending the powder in MAXIMILIAN MATTHEUS HAFF. 5 Water, passing sulfur dioxid through the Witnesses:

water and recovering the potash and phos- RUssEL S. SMART,

phoric acid. D. C. C. RAYE. 

